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In 2009, the Maryland State Senate passed legislation allowing the installation of speed cameras on major highways, interstates, and roads. As part of this law (signed by Martin O’Malley) those charged with speeding by these automated ‘big-brother’ machines had no recourse in court to fight their tickets. The law did not require a police officer or camera operator to appear in court.

This year, we can hold those people responsible for this law accountable. We can vote them out of office for imposing this law which strips those who travel through Maryland of their basic due process rights and enforces a backdoor ‘big-brother’ style tax.

Maryland for Responsible Enforcement, the Speed Camera Opposition group in Maryland, would like to endorse the following candidates for Maryland State Senate. They include both Democrats and Republicans who have been strong opponents to Speed Cameras.

To all of those who fought hard to repeal the state law allowing Speed Cameras to be placed around Maryland, the fight continues. The enabling legislation for this hidden revenue source now goes to the local jurisdiction. Starting on October 1, when the bill actually becomes law, counties will be holding public hearings on the Speed Camera legislation. After that, they will be voting whether to allow them within their own jurisdiction.

THIS IS WHERE WE CAN STOP THEM!

MRE is forming a coalition with several other groups so that we can begin to lobby our council members and commissioners to veto the Speed Cameras in our home counties. If our local legislatures insist on installing Speed Cameras, then we do have the opportunity to bring them to referendum. The counties, by and large, require much fewer signatures to bring a bill to referendum. For example, in Howard County, it only takes 5,000 signatures on a petition to put a referendum on the ballot.

We know that speed cameras are wildly unpopular among the general public across the state and country. No speed camera referendum has ever failed anywhere in the United States! If we were able to put a Speed Camera referendum on the ballot in areas where a legislator voted for them, not only would the referendum likely pass, but that legislator would have to spend extraordinary amounts of time and money explaining his/her vote.

NOW IS THE TIME TO ORGANIZE

We are teaming up with several other like-minded organizations to help us get started. If you are interested in getting involved, please contact me immediately. In Baltimore County MRE is joining forces with Americans for Prosperity and we are having a meeting next month to discuss our action plan. Details are as follows:

Unfortunately, today was not a bright day for the citizens of Maryland; as they fell just shy of the required 17,883 signatures needed to bring SB-277 to Ballot Referendum with approximately 16,000 signatures.

MRE would like to thank all like minded Marylanders who signed the petition and helped collected signatures. We want everyone to know your voices will be heard and we will use our lessons learned to assist citizens challenge speed cameras in their jurisdictions.

Over the past few weeks many Marylanders have expressed their utter disdain ranging from anger over it being another tax to concern over an increased big-brother 1984 police state.

Maryland is one of the hardest if not the hardest states in the union to pass a referendum. Sadly, this results in so many Marylanders being denied a voice in their government by not being able to hold their elected officials responsible for questionable and unpopular policy.

The burdensome state guidelines only guarantee the citizen petitioners a limited few weeks. This allows little time for people to express their concerns over a law. Even if Marylanders had submitted the correct number of signatures, the state would still omit 20-30% of the voter intent. By means of a strict process that if a middle initial was not used, the signature would be void.

During the final days of MRE’s efforts, many Marylanders reached out to us who had just learned about the petition effort and wanted to sign or help collect signatures themselves. Many more Marylanders told us they were in a busy time of the year but would do everything they could to help. With little money spent and a volunteer effort the message was clear Marylanders do not want speed cameras and do not want more taxes and burdens in these troubling financial times.

Between the information the law requires you to collect, specifically the exact way the voter is registered, and the extremely limited time frame it would be a near impossible monumental task for anyone to succeed in.

We would like to again thank all those who signed the petition and helped collect signatures. You were all able to accomplish so much in so little time.

The fight is never over and our continued activism of Speed Cameras will continue

Best Regards,

Justin Shuy and Daniel Zubairi

Co-Chairs

Maryland for Responsible Enforcement

info@mdscamera.com

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